This is a stunning, expertly written book that is thought provoking and moving. The cast is set for conflict - a Christian minister with a closet gay son who has committed suicide, an openly gay high school student, a closet gay student and his religious mother and her skeptical boyfriend, and a closet gay teacher. The story looks at every side of the Christian view of gays debate, with different characters representing different views, and it does so in a way that allows us to understand the fear and the indignation that fires the conflict. I particularly liked the way the author used video shot by the teen lovers as a means to help the minister come to a new understanding. The point is that it's easy to hate homosexuals and think all sorts of nasty things about them until you find that someone you love is one. I also loved the character of the mother's boyfriend. The complete ease with which he wandered naked around the house was delightful, as was his open-mindedness. He shows … [Read more...]
Fine literature: Review of The Colour of Light by Emilie Richards
Minister Analiese Wagner faces a challenge when a homeless family camps on the church's grounds one freezing evening. She decides to let them move into the empty apartment upstairs, even though it's too late to get the church council's agreement. The rest of the book is basically the fall-out from her decision and the battles she faces as an advocate for the family and for a hands on approach to Christianity. Added to this she faces a personal challenge when the priest she fell in love with turns up in town. They'd parted to avoid their feelings being an issue for him in his ministry as a celibate priest, but he's come to a cross roads in his life, and she's a factor in what he chooses for the future. The book goes deeply into issues of family homelessness, living as a Christian, and personal love versus love of ministry. The characters are real and complex, and they develop in relation to their changing circumstances. The story is beautifully written and is extremely moving. Fine … [Read more...]
Review: H2O the Novel by Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth
Title: H2O the Novel Author: Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth Publisher: AMG Publishers Release date: November 02, 2011 Genre: Adult Christian H2O is a strange story, and it took me a long time to get around to writing the review because I didn’t really know what to say about it. I think that’s because it has many layers of meaning—something rare and wonderful—and I responded better to some layers than others. On the surface, it’s a well constructed and written story about Kate Pepper, a highly successful young business woman in Seattle, who starts having visions when water touches her skin. The visions take her over at unexpected and unwanted times and leave her unconscious. This throws her life into turmoil—how can you stay clean when you’re scared of the visions water can produce?—and makes holding down a high-powered job extremely difficult. Add an uncaring boyfriend—who also happens to be her boss—and you get an idea of the extent of the problem. Her best friend, and a … [Read more...]
